The Thing That Annoys Me

Before I go on in my scholarly fashion, lets pause for an a moment and talk about something that really annoys me. His name is Killer and he lives with us. For many years I was an only cat and now that we have moved to the cabin, he shares it with us. My human thought I would grow to like him, but I am here to say that after two years, I do not. I suspect he dislikes me as well. He wants to sleep on the pillows on my bed, and the worst of it - we share a litter box.

Maybe that is not the worst thing. Maybe the worst thing is that he wants all the attention. Case in point. I had a vacation from humans and him a few days. I was looking forward to being catered too and put back on my pedestal, when HE had to go and ruin it. He stayed outside and my human seemed very upset that He was not there to greet her. I could hear her calling him before she even unlocked the door and greeted me. Then awhile later, he showed up, all Mr. Macho, smelling awful. He had gotten into another fight with the neighbor cats and his neck was all yicky and bloody. And of course all SHE did was coddle him. In fact she is still doing that, and he is acting strong and all, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just let me go outside and resume my life. Really. I am fine." But he knows she will not let him until he is properly healed. He loves it.

Bah!

Why I am Royalty

It is true you know; I am royalty or perhaps I should say, I am even above any monarch. Siamese are rare and wondrous creatures, deserving of so much more than the average cat.

Here is why:

The Siamese cat originated from Thailand, formerly known as Siam. These cats were held in such high esteem in their native country that no one except the King and members of the royal family were permitted to own them. They were originally known as Royal points.

Written records reveal that Siamese cats, in their country of origin, were venerated as guardians of the temples. When a person of high rank died, it was usual to select one of these cats to receive the dead person's soul. The cat was then removed from the royal household and sent to one of the temples to spend the rest of its days living a ceremonial life of great luxury, with monks and priests as its servants. These cats were reputed to eat the finest foods from gold plate and to recline on cushions made of the most opulent materials, which had been provided by the departed one's relatives in an attempt to receive good fortune and blessings. Once they became temple cats, they were supposed to have special powers and could intercede for the soul of the dead person.

Source: www.siamese-cats.com

The Crux of Being

I am a little cat, small and petite. But I am not an emaciated, skinny cat, like the freakishly thin modern Siamese that you see languishing about the cat walks. I think this is what causes a bit of confusion when people actually meet me. I am distinctively known as a Traditional, Old Style (yeah man), or an Applehead Siamese. I would prefer that you not refer to me as the later. It was a rude name given to those of us of a heartier variety by those who prefer the emaciated freaks (sorry, but I am a cat, you know).

Interestingly enough we are now called Thai cats, as quoted from the Siamese Breed Committee:

The name Thai is just one of many names used for the Siamese breed (referring to those of the old Siamese look). There is no difference between Thai cats, Old Style Siamese, and Siamese cats in the show ring today. With the exception that they have not been bred to the extreme (show type). (1)

You will notice the photograph below. This is the head of a modern Siamese (rude people from my camp would call them Wedgehead Siamese). You will notice how different our faces are, and yet we are both Siamese. (I do have to admit, despite a few of my catty comments, Willum is really quite handsome).


Source:
TICA 2006 agenda
Photo by rh021252 - This is under a Creative Commons License.

What is a Siamese?

I thought we would get a few things out of the way. The first thing? Defining the quintessential Siamese cat (which is of course what I am, bow to me, lowly one).

According to the Cat Fanciers' Association about Siamese:

Their sleek lines, striking color contrast, finely chiseled aristocratic heads, deep blue almond eyes, and short silky coats make them living art. Combine this beauty with acute intelligence, inquisitive personality and a loving nature and you have the essence of the Siamese cat.

Basically, it begins with a matter of coloring. Our bodies are creamy colored and our "points" are colored. This means our ears, snouts, paws, lower legs, and tails are a different color. For those interested in the science of this:

The pointed pattern is a form of partial albinism, resulting from a mutation in tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin production. The mutated enzyme is heat-sensitive; it fails to work at normal body temperatures, but becomes active in cooler areas of the skin. This results in dark colouration in the coolest parts of the cat's body, including the extremities and the face, which is cooled by the passage of air through the sinuses. All Siamese kittens, although pure cream or white at birth, develop visible points in the first few months of life in colder parts of their body. By the time a kitten is four weeks old the points should be clearly distinguishable enough to recognise which colour they are. Siamese cats tend to darken with age, and generally adult Siamese living in warm climates have lighter coats than those in cool climates. [1]

Then you must consider our temperaments. We are highly intelligent (as if you couldn't tell this from these humble words) and social, though we tend to bond with one main person (hence my human).

And our voice. We speak loudly and often. We are not afraid to voice our opinions, needs and wants.

Now you are getting it.

Cites: Animal Genetics

Greetings and Salutations

Most days begin and end with my human sitting at this computer. Now it is my turn. My human grand mother often jokes that I am out there in your world working as a model and that I should share the proceeds with my human. As if! I do think I would spend it all on dead pig meat or some scrumptious treats. I would also pay to have the other cat that lives here taken away. Killer, as he likes to be called, seems to have the idea that we are to share the master bed in the cottage. I disagree (though my human scolds me for it). He stalks around, all muscle and brute, all meow and no hiss.

But I digress. I am very picky about posing in pictures, so I would not make a great model. However, I do have aspirations to be a writer.

That is it for now. I need to get 21 hours more of sleep.